Ballast working implement



Sept. 28, 1954 c JACKSQN 2,690,135

BALLAST WORKING IMPLEMENT Filed Oct. 6, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

(arm/W Mar/ Jar? B Y @WMQ Patented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT @orFloE vBALLAST WORKING IMPLEIWENT "Corwill llackson, Ludington, Mich, assignor 'to --Jackson Vibrators, 'Inc., Ludington, Mich.

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in ballast working implements.

The main objects of this-invention are: First, to provide a ballast working implement which is highly efficient and very durable in use.

Second, to provide a ballast working implement including a blade having a stepped forward edge in which the stepped formation is .maintained throughout a relatively longperiod of wear on :the blade.

Objects relating to details andeconomies of the invention will appear from thedescription .tO follow. The invention is-defined and pointed out in the claims.

vA-preferred embodiment of thezinvention is illustrated in .the accompanying drawing,- in

which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ballast working implement embodying my invention, portions of "the implement being shown by dotted lines.

. Fig. 2.-is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the shank and blade of the implement, wear conditions being indicated by dotted lines.

. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View on a. line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a blade embodying features .of Patent No. 2,203,018, issued to me June 4, v1940, wear conditionsof such .blade being indicated by dotted lines. 7

The embodiment of my invention illustrated is designed for. use in tamping of ballast of railway tracks both original. installations and also in track maintenance where. ballast may have bercome compacted and cemented asis. a usual condition :inuse. The implementillustratedis manually manipulated and comprises a vibrating unit designated generally by the numeral l and consisting of an electric motor, the rotor of which 'is provided with an unbalancing weight 2 acting to-set up high frequency vibration. The handle beingan improvement and an-adaptation of the implement ofthatpatent. The improvements of .my present invention are mainly in the tool.

"The tool comprises arelatively'wide'thin-shank 5 which is fixedly secured to the vibrating unit I so that the vibrations of the vibrating unit are imparted to the shank and the tool blade carried thereby. The tool blade 6 is provided with a forwardly facing seat i for the shank, there being an upwardly facing groove-like recess 'B-at the bottom of the seat embracingly receiving the lower end of the shank as is shown in Fig. 3. The blade is fixedly secured to the shank by rivets 9. The recessS, however, is ofimportance as itin coaction with the rivets-secures the blade to the shank so that the bladeisefiectively vibrated or is subject to the vibrations of the shank and the connections sustain the severe stresses to which they are subjected in use.

The nose portion is of the blade isdisposed in a forwardly inclined relation to the shank as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. The blade terminates in a digging or penetrating .point i! at one vside edge and is provided with a plurality of-work engaging steps !2, l3 and I l. The step. [2 is disposed in an inclined relation to the axis of the blade and merges into the point II. -By axis of the blade is meanta line extendingsubstantially in the general direction of the shaft .or shank 5 and tool blade 6. The forward edges or faces-of the steps 13 and M are perpendicular to the axis of the-shaft. The steps areseparated by. notch-like recesses [5 of substantial depth,

the recesses desirably extending diagonally of the blade.

The shank 5 is desirably made of spring sheet steel-while the blade is a suitable casting or forging. The blade readily penetrates ballast which has become tightly cemented due to an accumulation of dust, clayand other foreign matters which enables the blade to reach and com- .pact ballast into voids beneath ties or to tamp in freshly placed ballast as in new installations or in maintenance work.

The steps. provide shoulders which eifectively force or .tamp the ballast into position. The recesses i5 facilitate-trapping crushed rock therein and compacting the same under pressure and vibration of theblade into the crushed .rock beneath the blade. Thetblade embodying my invention is effective for this purpose for a much longer period than blades embodying the invention 'of my said patent which, however, have been very extensively commercialized. A com- -.mercial embodiment of the invention of-mysaid patent is illustrated in Fig. 4.

' By dotted lines min Fig. 4 Iuhavexindicated average wear. conditions I such .as havet -been found 'tobe present-aftera blade :ofitheztype illustrated has been used on approximately four miles of track. The dotted lines I? indicate in general wear conditions after an additional four miles of use and it will be noted that the step features or characteristics are entirely eliminated. The blade is then considered to be worn out. The dotted line E8 of Fig. 2 indicates the wear condition on the blade of my present invention after approximately four miles or the same extent of use to which the blade of Fig. 4 is subjected to show the condition of wear indicated by the line is' The dotted line 19 indicates the wear conditions after an additional four miles of use or wear which corresponds to that indicated by dotted line 17 of Fig. 4.

The blade of my present invention is capable of effective use until the wear reaches the point indicated by the dotted line 28. It will be noted that the steps and the impacting faces thereof are still present when the blade of my present invention has been used to an extent which renders the blade of my patent undesirable for use and, as a matter of fact, the useful life of the blade of my present invention is substantially 50% greater or longer than that of the blade of my aforesaid patent.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical commercial embodiment thereof. for use with the type of vibrating unit illustrated, the tool is desirable for use in tamping implements of the plain impact type such as hydraulic or pneumatic implements. The blade, however, is especially adapted for use in implements including vibrating units for vibrating the blade at high frequency and such a unit is present in the commercial embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ballast working implement comprising a vibrating compacting tool blade having means for connecting the blade to supporting and vibrating means for the blade, said blade in opposed relation to said connecting means terminating in a point at one side edge and in a plurality of work engaging steps, the edge of the forward step being rearwardly inclined and merging into the point, the edges of the other steps being initially substantially perpendicular to the axis of the blade, the steps being separated by notch-like recesses of substantial width and depth, the inner end of each recess being disposed axially inwardly of both steps adjoining said recess, the recesses extending inwardly, inclined toward the side edge of the blade terminating in a point whereby the general step formation of the blade is maintained throughout a relatively long period of wear on the blade, said recesses facilitating trapping crushed rock therein and compacting the same under pressure and vibration of the blade into crushed rock beneath the blade.

2. A ballast working implement comprising a vibrating compacting tool blade having means for connecting the same to supporting and vibrating means for the blade, said blade in opposed relation to said connecting means terminating in a point at one side edge and having a plurality of work engaging steps, the edge of the most advanced step being inclined and merging into the point, the edges of the other steps being initially substantially perpendicular to the axis of the shank, the steps being separated by recesses of substantial width and depth, the inner While the tool is especially desirable end of each recess being disposed axially inwardly of both steps adjoining said recess whereby the general step formation of the blade is maintained throughout a relatively long period of wear on the blade, said recesses facilitating trapping crushed rock therein and compacting the same under pressure and vibration of the blade into crushed rock beneath the blade.

3. A ballast working tool comprising a vibrating compacting tool blade having means for connecting the same to supporting and vibrating means for the blade, said blade in opposed relation to said connecting means having a digging element along one side edge thereof and having a plurality of axially spaced compacting steps, the edges of which are initially substantially perpendicular to the axis of the blade, said digging element and steps being separated by recesses of substantial width and depth, the inner end of each recess being disposed axially inwardly of the steps adjoining said recess.

4. A ballast working tool comprising a tool blade having a work compacting edge constituted by a plurality of laterally spaced tonguelike elements disposed in stepped relation axially of the blade, the forwardly facing edge of the foremost element being rearwardly inclined toward the other elements, the forwardly facing edges of the other elements being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the blade, the tongue like elements being separated by recesses extending inwardly, inclined toward the foremost element, said recesses being of substantial width and depth to facilitate trapping crushed rock ballast therein.

5. A ballast working tool comprising a tool blade having a work compacting edge constituted by a plurality of laterally spaced tongue-like elements disposed in axially spaced stepped relation, the tongue like elements being separated by recesses extending inwardly, inclined toward the foremost element, said recesses being of substantial width and depth to facilitate trapping crushed rock ballast therein.

6. In a ballast working implement, a vibrating compacting tool blade having an upper por tion for connection to supporting and vibrating means for the blade and having a downwardly projecting portion terminating at the lower end thereof in at least two vertically spaced compacting steps, the lowest step terminating in a point adjacent one side edge of blade and being inclined upwardly from said point toward the upper of the steps, the upper step being initially generally horizontal, the two steps being separated by a recess of substantial width and depth, the inner end of the recess being disposed inwardly of both steps adjoining the recess, said recess facilitating trapping crushed rock therein and compacting the same under pressure and vibration of the blade into crushed rock beneath the blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 853,255 Miller May 14, 1907 1,675,565 Lee July 3, 1928 2,155,713 Jargick Apr. 25, 1939 2,239,785 Jackson Apr. 29, 1941 

